Burnley squash team edged out in thriller

Injury-hit Burnley lost 3-2 to Whitefield in a thriller in the North West Counties Squash League.

The match was barely five minutes old when Burnley’s Jon Smith over stretched, resulting in a badly-pulled calf muscle. Playing on, he was no match for the Whitefield player, losing easily 3-0.

Nik Czernianin levelled the scores in a closely-fought match, playing well within himself, continually driving the ball to the back of the court, before edging out his opponent 3-1.

Last week’s hero Daniel Whittaker could not repeat his brilliant form, making too many unforced errors before going down 3-1 against a player he should have beaten.

It was left to Graham Riley, who was never in any danger, to level the match with a steady if not spectacular 3-0 victory.

This meant it all rested on Rod Taggart, the Burnley number one to secure a match victory for Burnley.

Playing David Wryde the Whitefield number one, a player who had only lost one game all season and was top of the divisional rankings, the signs were ominous. The first game was a great advert for the game, with Taggart chasing down every shot from his opponent, winning 15-10, but the effort proved to be too much, and he was unable to reach the same levels as the first game, losing 3-1.